CONTENT

i Leading article

Pandemic Treaty: sign here? iv End of religious freedom in

Hong Kong China’s war on Christianity Kevin Andrews v Failure of the Fourth Estate

No wonder the press is held in contempt James Allan vi Australian notes

Gender wars David van Gend vii Lose-win

A good election to lose? Judith Sloan viii Don’t mention the swastika

Banning symbols is dangerous Jacob Mchangama ix Being Penny Wong

Under Labor, DFAT gets dafter Declan Mansfield x Back to the future?

Labor re-runs Rebecca Weisser xi Bad policy, bad politics

Sanctions are morally dubious Ramesh Thakur xii Saving the Liberal left?

Howard’s broad church is dead Paul Collits

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Spectator Australia letters to the editor and enquiries: editor@spectator.com.au

Can’t get her out of my head, p12

THE WEEK

3 Leading article 4 Portrait of the Week 5 Diary Ballet and bomb shelters

Christina Lamb 6 Politics Boris’s fighting talk

Katy Balls 7 The Spectator’s Notes

A stupid use of ‘apocalyptic’ Charles Moore 11 Rod Liddle

Bad songs for a good cause 14 Ancient and modern

Ship shape 15 Douglas Murray

The dishonesty of our age 16 Barometer WAG rules, new arrivals and cryptocurrency 19 Mary Wakefield

The madness of ‘emotional support animals’ 21 Letters Russian culture, the menopause and Eccles cakes 22 Any other business

How far will house prices fall? Frankly, don’t ask me Martin Vander Weyer

‘You’ll never believe what my house is worth’, p22

8 Zelensky’s choice

Can Ukraine force Russia to negotiate? James Forsyth 9 Briege Duffaud

‘I’m Watching the Midday News’: a poem 10 Parting shot

The truth about my brother-in-law’s hair Ivo Dawnay 12 Sex, drugs and Sartre

Why is a brilliant BBC serial kept in its most secret vaults? Peter Hitchens 14 Voice of concern

The creep of nannying announcements Laurie Graham 16 Roman myths

Italy’s growing opposition to Nato Nicholas Farrell 18 Cold Turkey

Why is Erdogan resisting Nato’s expansion? Owen Matthews 20 Changing channels

The television will be revolutionised James Heale

Cover by Morten Morland. Drawings by Michael Heath, Castro, Mark Wood, Kipper Williams, Bernie, Robert Thompson, Adam Singleton, Dredge, Nick Newman, Wilbur, Grizelda, Matt Percival. www.spectator.co.uk Rates for a basic annual subscription in the UK: £111; Europe: £185; Australia: AU$349.99; New Zealand: NZ$409.99; and AU$409.99 in all other countries. To order, go to www.spectator.co.uk/A151A or call 0330 3330 050 and quote A151A. Editorial and advertising The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP, Tel: 020 7961 0200, Fax: 020 7681 3773, Email: editor@spectator.com.au (editorial); letters@spectator.co.uk (for publication); advertising@spectator.co.uk (advertising); Advertising enquiries: 020 7961 0222 Subscription and delivery queries IPG Media P O Box 393, Belmont, WA 6984, Australia. Tel: 1800 809 233. From NZ: +6189 362 4134. Email: spectator@ipgmedia.com.au Spectator Australia advertising Tel: +44 (0)20 7961 0222, advertising@pressholdings.com Spectator Australia marketing William Delmont, Tel: +44 (0)20 7961 0004. Email: wdelmont@spectator.co.uk. Spectator Australia Distribution enquiries Tel +61 (0)8 9362 4134. Vol 349; no 10,108 © The Spectator (1828) Ltd. ISSN 0038-6952 The Spectator is published weekly by The Spectator (1828) Ltd at 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP Editor: Fraser Nelson Spectator Australia Editor: Rowan Dean editor@spectator.com.au ii the spectator australia | 21 may 2022 | www.spectator.com.au